TOWSON, Md. -- Mental health professionals said parents and school officials can help children process the tragic events of this past week, and they said there are some key ways to discuss the issue of violence.

Psychologist's agree that even though the school shootings happened out of state, children in Maryland can be affected by what they've seen and heard over the past week.

All of the shootings happened at school, a place where students are supposed to feel safe. For some, the violence has shattered that image.

Now, it's become the role of school officials and parents to help children sort through what's happened.

"How we would relate to a teenager is obviously very different than how we might respond to an elementary school child," said Dr. Mindy Feinberg, psychologist at Towson University.

Feinberg said the way parents respond to confusing questions can go a long way toward helping children try to understand what's happened.

"So what we do is really a good balance between providing opportunities for them to talk about things and modeling for them how to do that. Often, kids don't understand what's going on intellectually and emotionally during traumatic events like this," she stated.

Psychologists said parents should reassure their children that they are safe in the home and at school.

Feinberg said, "This is still extremely rare, so let children know in every way possible that you're going to keep them safe and that the schools are working hard to keep them safe as well."

Feinberg recommended that adults limit what their children take in by way of the media.

"We want to monitor what it is that they see so we know that they're getting the important things and we're being honest with them. It's coming from our mouths and our school mouths and not from gory images that help them through this difficult time," she said.

Again, psychologists said it is very important for parents to assure children that they're committed to keeping them safe.